


Don't Leave Me

by Morningstar_Winchester



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: A lot of fucking Dadvid, Abuse, Again, And a blanket to sob into, And some comfort soon, Attempted Suicide, Damion's a dick, David does too, Gen, Get some tissues, Gwenmom kind of, I'm really sorry, I'm so fucking sorry, I'm so sorry, Implied physical/sexual assault, It's okay in the end, Jaspdad if you squint, Jasper x David maybe???, Jasper's kinda a badass, Like, Max just needs hugs okay, Roller coaster of emotions heading your way, Second off, Suicidal Thoughts, Talk of Suicide, Trigger Warnings, Violence, anyway, dadvid, first of all, have fun, ish???, kind of, okay, seriously, sorry - Freeform, uh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-14
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 09:44:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15682893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morningstar_Winchester/pseuds/Morningstar_Winchester





	Don't Leave Me

Max didn't usually stray from camp - Or, rather, not this far, at least. But the ten year old needed somewhere more secluded. His fingers gripped the pill bottle that rested in his pocket, gently running his thumb over the cap of the bottle. He took a shaky breath, staring ahead as he walked. Saying he was scared wouldn't be that accurate - He wasn't scared. Not of what he was about to do. But he was scared of other things. He was scared of getting caught again. He was scared of being taken to another hospital. Possibly having to go back to his parents. But he wasn't scared of the other option. What was that option exactly? Freedom. Pure, blissful freedom. Just thinking about him made his chest ache in that familiar, longing way.

He stopped when he was sure he'd reached a good distance, finally tugging the pills out of his pocket. For a while he just gazed down at them, turning the bottle over in his hands. They usually took a while to set in - Max had to be prepared to wait for quite some time. He sighed, pulling his sleeves down over his hand to twist the cap off with a frown, glancing toward the sky. "Shit, what time is it…"

"...9:07."

Max jumped, flinching rather violently. The pill bottle almost slipped from his grasp, but he caught it quickly, watching with wide eyes as a few pills fell from the bottle and to the ground. The ten year old swallowed hard, staring down blankly for a few moments before squeezing his eyes shut, taking a deep breath and turning, blinking his eyes open to look up. His mint green eyes met a pair of forest green ones, unusually serene.

"Shit." Max inhaled a little unsteadily, backing up just a little bit. His surprised expression turned wary rather quickly, his grip on the pills tightening and his narrowed gaze fixed on David. David didn't say anything for a few moments, watching him silently. His gaze fixed on the pills, then back on Max, biting his lip.

"I told Campbell not to give those to you," he said absently, gesturing toward the pills before stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Broke his promise… No surprise there," he frowned, glancing away for a moment.

"Don't…" Max trailed off, his shoulders hunching up slightly. Why was he even about to defend that pile of shit anyway? "Campbell doesn't know what…"

"I told him what you'd do." David murmured, shoulders sagging slightly. He moved forward a little bit, pulling his hands out of his pockets. And he didn't miss the way Max flinched back, steeling himself with a sharp intake of breath. After all, Max hadn't done anything yet, he wasn't close to death, and he had absolutely no idea what David would do to him. Alone. In a forest. With nobody else around. When David clearly wasn't acting like himself.

Max's heart sank.

_Shit._

However, David merely frowned and moved back, sighing and sinking down to sit against a tree. "...Please don't do that," he mumbled to the ten year old, who was now watching him in pure disbelief and confusion. The two were silent for a while, Max staring at David, and David staring at the bottle of pills. Then Max took a few steps back before sinking down as well, clenching the pill bottle in his hand and pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Everything hurts." The kid mumbled, his gaze dimming slightly as he looked down. He pressed his fingers into his eyes for a moment, taking a shaky breath to fight back the tears. "Physically, emotionally…" He gritted his teeth, fists clenching.

He heard a soft, sad chuckle from David, hesitantly glancing toward the counselor to see him now gazing at the ground. "Oh boy, don't I know it."

Max went silent for a moment, bringing his gaze back to the ground. "I just want it all to…" He trailed off, sucking in a sharp, unsteady breath. "To  _stop_." And god, he'd never said something so truthful before. That's all he really wanted. He just wanted it all to stop - And if ending it himself was the way to make it stop…

"It will," David replied quietly, and Max brought his gaze back to him, silent. "Just…" He trailed off, his green eyes finally meeting Max's again and a hesitant smile appearing on his face. "It takes time."

Max snorted sightly, shaking his head. He'd heard that one before. "How much time, David?" He demanded, but he was far too exhausted to put any real bite into his words at all. The kid was shaking now, turning back to the pills. "Because I- I can't do this."

David laughed again, silent for a while. Max kept his gaze on the pills for a few moments before reluctantly turning back to David. He was shocked to see the camp counselor had tears in his eyes now, staring at the ground. "I don't know," David finally whispered. "It's just what they keep telling me."

Max stared at him in silence for a while, his expression unreadable. He wasn't sure what he was feeling. Sympathy, maybe? The kid sank down against the tree, frowning as he turned back to the pills. Eventually, though, he set the bottle down beside him. He couldn't do it. Not with David there. He'd be rushed to the hospital before he'd even taken the first pill. The ten year old fell silent, gazing down with a frown.

"I don't…" David spoke hesitantly, tentatively. As if he was afraid of his next words setting the ten year old off. "I don't want to lose you, Max."

Max bit back a sharp retort, shaking his head with a slightly bitter chuckle. "Why not." He mumbled blankly.

"You're the only thing I got keeping me running in this world, kid." David murmured back. Max blinked, bringing his gaze back to David for a moment. He just stared at him for the longest time in faint disbelief, a frown on his face and his expression changing, one emotion after another flickering through his gaze. Eventually, the kid just shook his head, his eyes hardening into a glare, which he focused on David for a moment before turning back to the pills.

"I'm broken." Max spat out bitterly. "I'm damaged. I'm- I'm fucking… Terrified out of my mind." He took in a slow, shaky breath, trying to at least somehow steady his breathing. There was no response from David, but Max didn't care this time, silently reaching out for the pills and the cap to the bottle.

"It's not fair."

"It isn't." David agreed quietly. Max simply twisted the cap back onto the bottle, staring down longingly for a moment. Oh, how he would love to just end it. To make one more attempt, at least. It burned, yes, but it numbed after a while. And he'd gotten a sweet, sweet taste of the darkness, the pure  _bliss_ and  _freedom_ that lay beyond the pain of life. He would love to escape that. He would love to do anything to stop hurting.

 _Just not today._ He thought bitterly.  _Today's not my day._

"Who hurt you."

Max tensed up, every muscle in his body locking. His expression changed for a second, his grip on the pill bottle tightening before he quickly forced the mask back on. His wide eyes shot up to David's face silently, his chest tightening and his chest seeming to close up for a few moments. The way the counselor was staring at him was enough of a confirmation. He knew. Max didn't know  _how_ but he knew and  _fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck._

"I'm not going to hurt you, Max," David sounded almost desperate there, taking a deep breath and leaning forward slightly. His green eyes sparkled with concern and warmth as he gazed at the kid; Max hated himself for relaxing slightly. He hated himself for being so fucking  _trusting._ "I just… Want to know."

Max just shook his head, pulling his knees up to his chest a little tighter. He shied away from the memories flickering at the edge of his mind, desperately trying to focus on something in the present instead. "I don't," he started, taking a shaky breath. "He said, he said if- if I…"

"Don't worry," David murmured, his voice soft and soothing. But honestly, Max couldn't really be soothed right then. He was terrified beyond belief at that moment - And he didn't like the feeling. "He won't hurt you ever again. I just need to know."

Max shook his head again, falling silent and burying his face into his arms. The memories came crashing back, hitting him like a tidal wave, knocking his breath away briefly. His chest tightened even more, his heart clenching violently and his throat seeming to close up all the way. The tears prickling at his eyes had never seemed more likely to spill; The kid just pushed his eyes against his arm, shaking slightly. He waited for the wave of panic to end, waited for the memories to fade away, waited for it to stop being so fucking overwhelming.

He was speaking before he realized it.

"Damion."

There was a long moment of silence. And then suddenly he felt David's arms wrap around him, but it wasn't a hug - Which Max wasn't sure if he was glad or disappointed - Instead, David pulled him aside, quickly shoving him back. The kid went stumbling, taking a few moments for that to sink in. His mind whirled, the one coherent thought he could make out in his spinning head being:  _Is he finally gonna do it?_

But after a few seconds, Max managed to focus on David, wide-eyed with confusion. And his confusion only grew when he saw the camp counselor doubled over in pain, gripping his side and gritting his teeth together. Max blinked, taking a step toward him. "David?"

And then his gaze rested on the man beside David, and he felt the panic seize him completely. Damion just glared at him, his dark eyes glittering coldly. He stepped toward Max, making the kid flinch back. "I told you to keep quiet, brat," he spat at the child, who tensed up slightly, glancing toward David. Damion looked toward the counselor as well, snorting. "Wrong one, whoops."

"Max," David took a deep breath, slowly standing up. He shot a glare toward Damion before focusing on Max again, still holding his side. "Go back to camp."

"I- I…" Max backed up a little bit, his eyes wide with terror. His gaze flickered from David to Damion and back again, tense. He winced when he saw David tug the knife out of his side, inhaling sharply and holding his breath. David didn't say anything, simply turning and swinging toward Damion. But, while the other man was clearly surprised, he dodged easily. Max shoved his hands into his pockets desperately, his eyes wide. He felt the pills…

...Wait. Tape recorder, he had a tape recorder. Not too surprising, he always kept one with him.

" _Don't._ " David growled, gripping the knife tighter and taking in a shaking breath. " _Fucking_ ," And then David swung again. He missed again, but he wasn't stopping anytime soon. " _Touch. My. Kid._ " At that, Max's breath caught in his throat, staring up at the camp counselor in disbelief and confusion.

"What're you gonna do about it, camp man?" Damion sneered, taking a few steps toward Max. Just to be a prick, he reached out and touched the kid's head, smirking toward David. "You don't have any proof." He chuckled. Max stiffened slightly, a small shudder running through him and his heart sinking down to his stomach.  _Shit shit shit shit I shouldn't have said anything shit._

"If you kill me, who're they gonna believe?" Damion questioned, burying his fingers into Max's hair briefly before pulling back, shoving the kid aside. "The fucked up camp counselor, or me, an innocent civilian taking a walk around the lake?"

"You don't know who you're fucking with." David warned, reaching out to steady Max. But the kid waved him off, staring at the stab wound with wide eyes filled with pure concern.

"Oh really?" Damion moved forward, suddenly grabbing David's vest in both hands and shoving him back against the tree. Max choked in a shocked gasp, and David just hissed in pain, inhaling sharply and holding his breath for a moment. "I think I know exactly who I'm fucking with tonight."

"D- David-" Max cut off, his head swimming desperately. No, no, this wasn't right. David shouldn't be hurt. Damion couldn't hurt him. He didn't deserve it. David didn't deserve it. "N- No, l- leave him alone!"

"Don't worry kid," Damion looked toward him briefly, a cruel grin appearing on his face. "I'm not forgetting about you." Those words made a sharp chill go down Max's spine, the fear honestly becoming almost  _unbearable_ at that point, but he held his ground. For David. For David, this was for David.

"Leave. Him.  _Alone._ " For David.

"Max," David hissed, finally beginning to breathe again. He twisted around to stare at the kid. "I can handle this, go back to camp!"

"No!" Max exclaimed, shoving his hands into his pockets. He went silent for a moment, trying to work up enough courage to do this. To face Damion, of all fucking people… The boy closed his eyes for a moment, shaking. "So we- we don't have any  _proof_ do we?" He finally spat out, inhaling slowly.

There was a moment of silence; Max didn't want to open his eyes. "What'd you fucking do, kid?"

Max shook his head desperately, reluctantly blinking his eyes open. Damion had dropped David and had turned to him, his glare fixed on the kid. Max tensed, another sharp chill running through him, icy panic beginning to grip at him once more. But he held his ground.

 _For David._ "J- Just, let him go, and…"

Not that easy. Damion narrowed his eyes, stepping toward the kid threateningly. Max inhaled sharply and flinched back, fear tightening in his chest. He slid a small step back, taking in the deepest breath he could. "Give it to me."

"I'll scream," Max warned, his hands trembling. "I- If you come near me, I'll scream." That was the best thing he could think of to do, honestly. If he screamed loud enough,  _somebody_ would come, right? Right?

"Looks like we're out a standstill, then." Damion said smoothly, glaring down at the kid. "The twink is bleeding out right over there." There was a pause; Max's gaze flickered toward David uncertainly, the camp counselor staring at him in silence. "You could hand it over and I'll leave you alone." Damion gave a shark-like grin, sharp like shattered glass. "Or…"

The threat trailed off, another shudder passed through Max.

"...And him," Max mumbled, dropping his gaze for a second. His fingers left the tape recorder he'd been gripping to grab another, his eyes darkening. "Y- You leave him alone too."

"Fine." Damion didn't sound too happy about that. And for some reason, it didn't really soothe the kid. "Him too." He took another step forward. "Now give it here." Max took in a shaky breath, pressing down the play button on the tape recorder.

"Y- You'll really leave us alone?"

" _Yes._ "

Max sometimes hated how gullible he was. How naive he was. How trusting. Or, at least, how trusting he could be. But honestly, all his senses, common sense especially, were clouded by the pure terror he was feeling. David was bleeding out. Damion was here.  _This was all going to hell and Max couldn't do a single fucking thing about it._

The kid pulled the tape recorder out of his pocket reluctantly, slowly stepping forward and handing it over. He flinched back when Damion reached out, but he let him take it from him. The man pulled back, studying the tape recorder for a moment in silence, and Max watched anxiously, taking in a shaky breath.

"Th- There," he mumbled. "N- Now… Go."

There was a long, long moment of silence that only made Max's panic worsen. Eventually, though, Damion just smirked and shrugged, dropping the tape recorder and smashing it with his foot, breaking it easily. Then he suddenly grabbed the knife, and before Max could react, he had the blade at David's throat. The kid inhaled sharply, his heart stopping.

"Scream," Damion smirked at him. "I dare you."

"N- No, you said-" Max cut off, desperately cursing himself. This is why adults couldn't be trusted, fucking hell. "You said…"

"You know, you're kind of an idiot kid," Damion snickered. "Too trusting. Pretty damn naive, too." He hummed, looking down at David. Max swallowed hard, shrinking down into himself for a moment.  _Boy, don't I know it._

"J- Just… Let him go…"

"Where's the fun in that?" Damion questioned innocently. Max shook his head desperately.  _This is all just some twisted game to you, you sick fuck. Just like it is for Alex._

"T- Take me but h- he- he didn't- He didn't do anything, p- please!" Max begged, breathing slightly heavier now. David didn't deserve this.

"Oh trust me Max, you'll get your turn," Damion sneered. Max tensed once more, fear bubbling up and twisting in his gut. He flinched back, gritting his teeth as he watched Damion turn back to David. "But you know, this little twink really gets on my nerves."

"N- No, he didn't- He didn't do anything, he doesn't…" Max trailed off, shaking his head again. He was completely helpless in this situation, and he hated it. But right then, he was  _beyond_ terrified for David, and he didn't know what to do. He just didn't want him to be hurt. He didn't want Damion to hurt him. The kid stood there for a moment, his gaze locked on the two silently for the longest time.

"Maxwell."

Max tensed slightly, his wide gaze turning to David. David just stared at him for a long time, his green eyes colder than Max had ever seen them. Honestly, it made Max's stomach twist even more, the fear becoming frighteningly overwhelming.

"Go. Now." And with that, David surged up, grabbing the knife from Damion and turning on him with a growl. Max didn't stick around to watch. His reaction to the order was pure instinct; The boy spun around and raced off back toward the camp. He hated himself for doing so, but he knew he couldn't do anything. He had to get help, he had to get Gwen, or Jasper, or someone,  _someone_ who could help David.

* * *

 

"GUYS!"

Jasper looked up, startled when he saw Max rush into the camp. The kid stumbled slightly, almost falling, but he managed to catch himself quickly at the last second. He was choking, gasping as tears ran one by one down his face; It didn't take long at all for Jasper to rush over to the boy, quickly reaching out to steady him. Max recoiled, flinching away. "Max, what happened?"

"David-" Max choked out with a sob, shaking his head and gasping again. Jasper had honestly never seen the kid in tears before; He wasn't sure how to react to it. "David, a- and, he- Damion- I- I'm- They- I couldn't- He's-"

Jasper swallowed, his heart sinking. His mind spun with the possibilities of what could have happened to David, a few of which he didn't want to consider. "Okay, okay, alright," he picked up the shaking kid, quickly rushing him to the counselor's cabin. As much as he wanted to get to David, Max needed comfort badly right then, and Jasper wasn't about to leave him in the middle of camp for all the others to see him crying. He could take him to Gwen. "Where's David, Max?"

"L- Long trail, n- near the clearing, forest," Max replied numbly, gripping onto Jasper's shirt. He shook his head with another sob, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth. "I couldn't.."

"It's okay," Jasper mumbled, gently running his fingers through the kid's hair. He handed him to Gwen as soon as he was in the cabin, ignoring the other counselor's shocked look as she took the kid. Once his hands were free, Jasper turned to look around, his blue eyes scanning the area quickly. Where was the key, shit, where was the key?

"What's going on?" Gwen looked down at Max in concern. The kid just continued to tremble, sinking down. He seemed completely unfocused right then, gazing at the wall blankly as the tears trailed down his face.

"Davey's in trouble. Stay here, try to keep him calm." Jasper gritted his teeth before taking a deep breath, walking over to the stand beside David's bed. Without any hesitation, he slammed his fist through the drawer, his fingers locking around the pistol that rested inside. He'd probably broken more than the drawer, but he didn't really care. "We'll be back." With that he spun around and walked out, leaving a confused Gwen and a completely panicked Max alone in the counselor's cabin.

"..." Gwen went silent, staring down at Max for a long time. "So… Wanna watch Doctor Who?"

Max just blinked and turned his gaze back to her, a hint of disbelief sparking up in his gaze as he stared at her silently. Gwen just shrugged, bewildered.

* * *

 

Jasper was steaming as he stormed through the woods, gritting his teeth together. His finger fiddled with the trigger of the gun, desperately wanting to shoot, but he held off. He continued down the path Max had said, snapping any branches on the ground easily as he walked. His blue eyes fixed ahead, barely making out two figures in the distance. His eyes sharpened for a second, quickening his pace and quickly bringing the gun up to point at the taller figure. Damion, Max had said. "Hey, asshole!"

David's head whirled around in surprise, and Damion paused, looking up. His gaze hardened when he saw Jasper, gritting his teeth and shoving David back against the tree. Jasper thought about shooting right then and there, but he didn't. Not yet.

"Great." Damion sneered. "Someone came to save you, twink. Look at that." David didn't say anything, focusing on Jasper silently.

"Let him go." Jasper chuckled darkly, lifting his hand and aiming the gun at Damion. There was a moment of silence, the two glaring at each other for a while. Then, Damion turned and grabbed the knife, bringing the blade up to David's cheek. The redhead inhaled sharply and froze, his green eyes going wide and his teeth clicking together silently.

"Fucking idiot." Jasper mumbled, then aimed the gun carefully. Then he pulled the trigger. The bullet whizzed through the air easily, barely grazing against Damion's fingers and easily knocking the knife out of his hand. The bullet kept going, only stopping when it slammed through a tree. Damion jerked back, eyes going wide, and Jasper smiled cheekily.

"Any more tricks?" Jasper sneered, narrowing his eyes at Damion, who backed up a bit.

"That's surprisingly good aim," Damion mumbled, honestly looking kind of nervous now. Jasper just shrugged and gestured with the gun. Damion took the hint, taking a few steps back and promptly bolting. David fell to the ground, gripping his side silently, and Jasper pocketed the gun before rushing over, kneeling down.

"You okay, Davey?"

"Fuck," David choked out, curling up a little and taking in a deep, shaky breath. "Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck."

"Language," Jasper mumbled, easily scooping David up. David just shook his head, his green eyes wide and darting around as Jasper turned and started walking again. His hand clenched over the knife wound, his breathing coming in short, soft gasps.

"Max," David finally mumbled, turning back to Jasper. "Where's Max?"

"He's at camp." Jasper replied easily, looking down at him and tilting his head faintly. "He's okay. A little panicky, but he's okay." At this, David groaned and let his head roll back for a second, focusing on the sky briefly. After a few moments, though, the counselor spoke up again, narrowing his eyes toward Jasper.

"Was that my gun,"

"Yes," Jasper admitted with a bright smile. "I broke your desk and my hand to get it. You're welcome!" He chuckled slightly. David just grumbled, resting his head back again. When he spoke again, though, his words were slightly slurred.

"S'not good…"

"Mhm…" Jasper looked down at him for a long time. David had been stabbed, clearly, and probably needed more medical assistance than Camp Campbell could give. The counselor clicked his teeth together, thinking. "Alright, we're taking you to a hospital."

"Hospital?" David peered up at him, his green eyes slightly hazy. Jasper felt his heart sink for a second, but quickly reminded himself that it was just the blood loss. David would be fine. "Why?" But then his gaze flickered down, seeing the blood staining his shirt, and the wound, and he blinked. "Ohhh."

Jasper took a deep breath, quickening his pace slightly. "Yeah, I'ma take you to the hospital." He mumbled.

"It's all red."

"Blood, Davey. It's blood." Jasper sighed. "Which is why you need to go to the hospital." He paused when he reached the camp, his mind whirling. He had to at least let Max and Gwen know that David was okay. And get the keys. So, he headed for the counselor's cabin, still holding David.

"Ma went to the hospital," David mumbled. "And she never came back." His eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Am I not gonna come back, too?"

"Davey, you're going to come back if I have to drag you out myself," Jasper grumbled, pushing the door open and heading inside. "Keys." He requested bluntly. Gwen turned quickly, eyes widening when she saw David. Max was up in an instant, already rushing over to the two.

"David!"

"Max?" David's eyes opened immediately, head twisting around slightly to focus on the kid. Max stared at him for a moment, then took a deep breath and promptly broke down sobbing, burying his face into his hands.

"Oh th- thank god, thank god…"

"Why're you crying?" David mumbled, reaching out a hand toward Max weakly to pat his head. "The bad guy's goooooonnnnne." Max just shook his head, trying to stop the tears, and didn't respond. Gwen stared for a moment before quickly standing up and grabbing the keys.

"Come on." The counselor said quickly, moving past the others and leaving the cabin. Jasper nodded and looked down at David for a moment, then at Max, who had now brought his gaze back to Jasper, looking helplessly lost.

"I- Is he gonna be okay?" Max took a deep breath.

"He'd  _better_ be." Jasper replied simply, shifting David a bit to ruffle Max's hair gently. Max nodded, shoulders sagging slightly. He turned his gaze back to David, biting his lip.

"C- Can I come?"

Jasper opened his mouth to respond - The answer was going to be yes anyway, but David beat him to it, once more reaching out for Max. "Maaaaaaaaax don't leaaaave meeee…." Despite himself, the kid's lips tugged up into a hesitant little smile, concern flickering through his mint green eyes.

"There's your answer," Jasper chuckled, turning and heading after Gwen. "Let's go, kiddo. The sooner we get him to the hospital…"

"The better." Max mumbled, following quickly.

* * *

 

"And she's got pretty red hair that Sarah and I like to braid back,"

Max nodded absently as he listened, his gaze fixed on David's face. In all honesty, he'd never seen the camp counselor so vulnerable before - And for David, that was saying something. The kid's worry was only growing, but at least he wasn't panicking as much as he had been, so that was good. After all, Damion wasn't there, they were safely in the car, and going to the hospital. David would be fine. He  _had_ to be fine.

"And she's always smiling no matter what." David added, rolling his head back to look up at the roof of the car. Max glanced toward Jasper and Gwen briefly, watching the two exchange a brief look. David never really talked about his parents- Honestly, Max felt kind of bad for kind of taking advantage of the current situation. But at the same time, he wasn't getting David to talk about all this just to learn more about his mother. No, Max just wanted to keep David awake until they got to the hospital.

Because he was terrified that if David went to sleep he wouldn't wake up.

Max wouldn't be able to deal with that. The kid felt his breath catch in his throat, turning his head to look out the window. "S- Sounds a lot like you, David," he mumbled after a moment, taking in a deep, unsteady breath.

"Her name's Lily," David continued quietly. "She likes lilies…. I should bring her some. Maybe then she'll wake up…" The counselor yawned. Max felt his chest tighten again, this time with sympathy. The drive had been a lot longer than Max had anticipated - He'd heard a lot about David's past by now, and the kid didn't like what he'd heard. He'd had it pretty bad himself - And it fucking hurt to know David had had it just as bad, if not worse.

"Ma makes the best apple pies," David murmured with another yawn. Max nodded, turning back to look up with him and managing a tight, shaky smile.

"My mom makes good pies, too," he mumbled. "She likes to make pumpkin pies." He sighed, curling his knees up to his chest. His mother wasn't so bad. It was Ryan who was the asshole, honestly. Well, asshole was an understatement, but for lack of a better word…

"She taught Sarah how to bake. I tried, but I burned them all…" David giggled a little, and despite himself, Max cracked a small smile.

"Really?"

"Mhm," David sighed. "But she ate them anyway, n'said they were the best." David blinked, his gaze trailing away for a few seconds. Max watched him silently for a while before smiling softly and speaking.

"That's sweet, David."

"They weren' sweet." David blinked. "They were bitter." He stuck his tongue out with a grin, and Max laughed a bit despite himself, shaking his head slightly at the camp counselor. It was weird to see David like this. The kid crossed his arms and leaned forward again, frowning when he saw David suddenly wince and shift over a little.

"You okay?"

"Feels like Bruce is bitin' me," David muttered, pressing his hands into his eyes for a moment. Max blinked, shaking his head slightly.

"Who?"

"M'dad's dog," David explained quietly, his words seeming to slur even more. "S'metimes n'stead of punishing me, he let's Bruce do it." He sighed, yawning slightly. "'S a bad doggy." Max just fell silent at this, the guilty feeling only worsening. And here he'd thought for the past few years that David was a bad person, that he couldn't trust him. And he'd been so fucking  _wrong_ and now David was hurt because of him and this was all so fucked up.

"I'm sorry, David…" Max started, pausing when they parked. David seemed like he was about to respond, but he stopped and looked up at the building, his green eyes widening slightly. Max turned back to him, his expression turning faintly wary now.  _Please don't freak out just let them help you David please._

"This is where Ma went," David frowned. "She didn't come back out, I don' wanna... " He shrank down, tensing.

"It's okay," Max said soothingly as Jasper got out, opening the back door to get David out. "It's okay. You'll come out, I promise."

"Y'promise?" David mumbled in defeat, reluctantly letting Jasper pull him out. The man pulled David up into his arms to carry him instantly, and David sighed, sinking down into his arms. Max nodded in relief, getting out and shutting the door quickly behind him.

"I swear." He turned back to David, who smiled hesitantly, looking satisfied. Max returned the smile guiltily, looking down for a moment. Then he cleared his throat. "Come on, let's go get him checked in. Sooner the better, right?"

"Yep." Jasper sighed, turning and heading inside. David was looking around silently, eyes wide as he took in everything around him. Max dropped back to walk beside Gwen, who looked down at him quietly. The two walked in silence for a moment, Max pausing to watch Jasper stop at the desk, talking to the receptionist.

"..." Max took a deep breath, focusing on David again. "Is- Is he gonna be like that… Forever?" He asked quietly.

"Of course not," Gwen mumbled, resting a hand on Max's head. Max flinched despite himself, the reaction instinctual, but he relaxed after a second. "It's probably just the blood loss. They'll take care of him, he'll be fine." She assured with a sigh. Max nodded and looked down, tugging on the sleeves to his hoodie for a few seconds. They went silent, the two of them pondering for a moment before Gwen spoke again. "I really hope they don't assume we did this."

"Shit," Max cleared his throat, then blinked, remembering something. He quickly reached down into his pocket, tugging the tape recorder out. "That's right, I got this," he mumbled, stopping the recording quickly.

"Good enough," Gwen took the tape recorder, ruffling Max's hair. "You're a smart kid." And with that she walked forward, handing the tape recorder over to the receptionist. Max just sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets, hunching his shoulders slightly and lowering his head, his gaze focusing on the floor. The guilt and fear was almost overwhelming. What if David didn't make it? What if he wasn't okay? What if he did stay like this forever? What if he died? Max could drive himself crazy with all the "what-ifs", honestly. With the worry.

The worry that he didn't know he could feel so  _strongly_ for the camp counselor. The kid shifted his feet slightly and lowered his head even more.

"You alright, kid?" One of the nurses had paused, kneeling down beside Max. The kid's head shot up, turning his gaze to see the doctors already wheeling David away on a stretcher. The kid leaned forward a little, desperately wanting to run after them, but he stayed where he was. The nurse blinked, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Kid?"

Max flinched slightly, jerking away from her. "M'fine," he mumbled. "Is David… Will he.." He trailed off, gesturing vaguely with one hand and turning a concerned look to the nurse, who blinked at him sympathetically.

"He'll be fine." She assured, sitting back as Jasper and Gwen headed back over. Jasper simply knelt down and scooped Max up into his arms. The kid didn't resist, simply twisting a bit and shifting in his grip to stare after David, not even moving his gaze when the doors had shut behind them. His heart was pounding in his chest so loudly he was sure almost everyone in the hospital could hear.

"I can't lose him," Max mumbled blankly, squeezing his eyes shut and burying his face into Jasper's shoulder. Jasper just sighed, his arms locking around the kid protectively.

"You won't." Jasper mumbled. "We won't lose him."

"Promise?"

"I  _promise_."

* * *

 

"Max?"

Max woke up to the sound of David's voice. The only voice that had been absent in his dreams. Or, rather, nightmares. For a second, Max just tensed, his grip on Jasper's shirt tightening. He didn't want to turn his head, didn't want to look up. He was terrified it wasn't real. He was terrified that David wasn't okay, he wasn't awake, it wasn't real, it was a dream. The kid exhaled softly and shakily. "...You're awake?" He mumbled uncertainly. "You're r- real, n- not a dream, or…?"

"Yeah,"

Max swallowed, finally getting up the courage to turn his head, looking toward David. His mint green eyes widened faintly, relief pulsing through him instantly. He twisted around in Jasper's arms, looking up at the camp counselor for a moment. David was okay. He was awake. He was fine, he was fine, he was  _fine._

Max had broken down before he even realized he was crying. David's eyes flashed with concern, but he didn't move, aside from twisting his head a little to look at the kid a bit better. Jasper just stood up and moved over, carefully setting Max down on the bed beside him. Max didn't move an inch, burying his face into his hands.

"I- I'm- I'm s- sorry, David, I- I…"

"Hey," David frowned slightly, resting a hand on his back. "Hey, hey, it's okay. What happened?" He blinked blearily, shaking his head. Max took a deep breath, trying to stop the tears so he could respond. "I mean, I remember the fight, and after that, but… After you came…" He frowned.

Max nodded, rubbing his eyes and taking in a deep, shaky breath. "D- Damion stabbed you," he mumbled. "A- And you were losing blood, we had to get you to the hospital." He took a deep breath. "Y- You were really… Out of it?"

David tensed slightly beside him. Max twisted around a little to look at him, his eyes widening with instant concern, but David didn't seem hurt. Just confused and slightly afraid. "...How out of it?"

"R- Really out of it," Max mumbled, looking confused.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

The confusion deepened, as well as slight disbelief. "Wh- What?!" Any other time he probably wouldn't have had that reaction, but now? Now the idea of David hurting him -  _David_ of all people hurting him, it just seemed so fucking stupid and silly. He honestly couldn't imagine it. And it was such a change from how terrified he'd been of the camp counselor before that he wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. "N- No!"

"Did I do something? To anyone?" David pressed, gazing at him in concern. Max shook his head desperately, and David sighed, seeming to relax slightly.

"No, no, you- You were just-" Max cut off, taking a deep breath and shaking his head again. "You were kind of scared and k- kept talking about your mom and d- dad, a- and... Yeah," at that, though, David tensed again, and Max bit his lip slightly.

"What… What did I say?"

"A l- lot of stuff," Max mumbled. "L- Like, about your d- dad, and the dogs, and… I- I don't… I was just so w- worried, I didn't…" Honestly, he didn't want to repeat back what David had told him. He didn't want to remember what David had told him. He just wanted things to go back to normal. He wanted David to be okay.

David just shook his head, covering his face. Max watched him silently for a while, the guilt returning.  _David doesn't deserve this,_ he thought, shaking his head. Then he moved forward a little, suddenly twisting around, and hugged the camp counselor silently.

"Wh…" David blinked, wrapping his arms around Max quickly. The kid was silent for a while, gritting his teeth and fighting back the tears. Then, for probably the tenth time that day, he broke down sobbing, burying his face into David's shoulder. He felt David's fingers brush against his face, rubbing the tears away gently. The guilt only increased - He was the one that was supposed to be comforting David. "Max…"

"I'm sorry," Max choked out, shaking his head and burying his face deeper into David's houlder. "I- I'm s- so s- sorry, f- for everything, I- I just- I'm- I- I won't leave you, I won't," he sucked in a sharp breath. "J- Just please, pl- please be okay, please…"

David shook his head gently, tugging Max closer. "I'll be okay," he said softly, resting his head against Max's for a moment. Max seemed to deflate slightly, relief pulsing through him as he snuggled closer to the camp counselor. He was silent for a long time before he finally turned his head, rubbing his eyes.

"Okay," he mumbled. "Okay, okay…" He swallowed. "...I'm sorry."

"Don't be," David replied gently, once more brushing his tears away. Rather than flinching back like he would have had it been anyone else, Max leaned forward into the touch, letting out a soft, shaky sigh. "I'd do anything for you, Max."

"Y You're hurt," Max mumbled. "I- It's my fault."

"It's not your fault," David murmured back, resting his head against Max's. Max just sighed, gazing up at him uncertainly for a moment. He seemed like he was about to say something, but he turned his head when the doctor came in, flinching back instantly. David seemed to have the same reaction, arms tightening around Max as he pulled the kid closer.

The doctor just gave David a sympathetic look before turning back to Jasper, nodding to the door. "I need to talk to you."

"Ai'ght," Jasper nodded, standing up and stretching. The doctor stepped aside to let him leave, and Jasper gave Max and David a warm, comforting smile before heading out, the doctor following not too long after. David visibly relaxed, sighing softly, and Max did the same, turning back to the camp counselor warily.

The two sat in silence for a while, David staring at the wall blankly and Max staring at David silently. He couldn't help but think - He'd come so close to losing David today. And he hadn't realized how much it would have hurt him to lose him until it had almost happened. The kid blinked, his grip on David's shirt tightening for a moment. He didn't want to lose David. David was the one good thing he had in this fucked up world, he couldn't lose him. The closest thing to a father figure, the only person he could  _trust_.

Max frowned slightly, shaking his head and tugging on David's shirt gently. "D- Dav… Dad?" He asked uncertainly. David blinked, looking startled as he stared down at the kid, eyes widening slightly.

"Yeah?"

"I…" Max trailed off, biting down on his lip. It wasn't a hard thing to say, that wasn't the problem. The problem was that it was so easy to say. So easy to give this man his complete trust. The boy exhaled softly, looking down for a moment in silence. David shifted a little beside him, gazing at the kid in concern.

"Max…?"

"I love you."

There. Max sighed and shut his eyes for a moment. He wasn't really expecting a response, but he'd said it and that was what mattered. He put his head back down and opened his eyes again, focusing on the wall. What happened next, though, it was unexpected. David's arms curled around him, tugging the kid into a soft hug. Max blinked, tilting his head back a bit to look up at him. David was beaming, brighter than he ever had before. And as if that smile was contagious, Max found himself grinning slightly as well.

"I love you too, kid."


End file.
